1. Technical Field
This invention relates to configuring a planner to communicate with a data repository through a middleware layer. More specifically, the invention mitigates the complexity of the planner by employing placement of modules and services in the middleware layer; with the middleware layer configured to support functionality of the planner maintained in the components of the middleware layer.
2. Background of the Invention
It is recognized in the art of computer programming to employ utilities within an application to assist with performance of a particular task. Such utilities are known as wizards, or in one embodiment as a planner. Wizards have evolved in the environment of individual computing systems and are employed as user interface elements, where the user is presented with a sequence of dialog boxes. Through these dialog boxes, the user is led through a series of steps, performing tasks in a specific sequence.
Planners have expanded beyond the personal computer environment and are now employed in distributed computer systems, where they search for options associated with management of data and provide decision making guidance. There are different categories of planners employed in a distributed computing environment, including but not limited to management planners, provisioning planners, and problem determination planners. A management planner is known to present a solution to a system administrator by searching infrastructure devices, paths, and configuration for specified criteria. A provisioning planner returns a candidate storage controller and server that can be used to deploy a new application within the structure of a service level agreement (SLA). A problem determination planner assists with determining the basis for a violation of a SLA. These planners utilize information aggregated from historical information and performance data.
In general, the planners are heavy weight processes that utilize advanced statistical techniques for modeling. Each planner is an independent optimization module. In one embodiment, planners are unique to the associated data repository. More specifically, different data repositories employ proprietary schemas, i.e. heterogeneous. The planners that communicate with these data repositories are not inter-operable across heterogeneous data repositories.